Vigo to Viana do Castelo

July 23, 2019

Hello Portugal.

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Last night we stayed at a ‘divey’ little hotel in Vigo. Sue, always the optimist, called it a ‘simple’ hotel. Either way, we actually had a good night’s sleep despite the six or seven drunk men who planted themselves on the patio of the bar downstairs. When we arrived, they were already drunk and, when we left for a few hours and returned, they were still there and even more drunk. It normally would not have bothered me, but they were also loud and rude and catcalling every woman that went by. Just a. Inch of creeps. Thank goodness they drank themselves into pass out mode, and all was quiet by midnight.

About to leave the Bay of Vigo and turn south with the open ocean on our right all the way south.

Great shoulder for cyclists and a stiff headwind.

Our ride took us in a southwesterly direction out of Vigo along PO 324 mostly on bike paths and huge shoulders built for cyclists and for those pilgrims walking the Portuguese portion of the Camino. It was stress free cycling that allowed us to take our eyes and ears off of the cars, somewhat, and enjoy the fantastic coastal scenery.

The Repsol station was always a reliable source for a cold drink on this tour.

As we neared As Cadeiras, where the bay of Vigo essentially ends, and where our road turns due south, the headwinds hit us hard and the full power of the open Atlantic revealed itself. The rollers and swells coming in off the open ocean were impressive and awe inspiring for most of the day, and it was not uncommon to see 20 to 3o foot waves crashing out there. Amazing.

We stopped several times today just to gaze and admire the power of the ocean.

We were excited as we approached the border with Portugal and the ensuing ferry crossing that would take us across the mouth of the Minho River into a new country.

When we arrived at the ferry terminal, all was eerily quiet. Too quiet. I cycled up to the ticket office and written on a piece of a paper were the words, “Ferry Broken. No Ferry”. There was no indication of how long it was out, nor was there any information on when it might be running. Sue and I looked at each other and laughed.

My thoughts as the navigator was how far inland would we have to ride to cross this river?

Sue’s happy face. Thank goodness for this guy’s entrepreneurial skills, or we would have had a long detour.

I turned my head towards the ferry dock and noticed some people getting out of a boat. I thought it was a family out fishing for the day. But, a wave of the captain’s hand meant that this was our guy. I pointed to the bikes, and he waved us over again. Yes. The cycling gods were with us. So, the captain of this fine vessel did his best to give himself a hernia, and insisted on trying to hoist the fully loaded bicycles into the boat. I gave up trying to be helpful, and hoped he had a good surgeon.

Going for dinner. Captions and final touches to come.

Bikes on. Ready to go. He charged us 10 Euros for the trip.

These pics should really come after the beach landing, but I can’t move them.

Spray on the camera lens. Right over my eye. Arrrrrrr, matey.

Okay. I think I see the bulge erupting in his abdomen where his hernia is. I’m taking those panniers off before I have to call 911 or whatever number they call emergency in Portugal.

And the captain is off for the return trip.

Walk to dinner last night. A beautiful evening on the Portugal coast.

He dune ecosystem here is really beautiful.

Today's ride: 92 km (57 miles)
Total: 1,375 km (854 miles)

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